StevePartridge.com

Marathon des Sables

Journal 2002
Journal 2005
Photographs 1999
Photographs 2001
Photographs 2002
Photographs 2005

The Marathon des Sables is a long- distance running race across the Sahara Desert. It is certainly one of the toughest races on earth and covers the equivalent of five and a half marathons. The route is not revealed until the start; contestants being dropped in the desert and given the route at that point.

The distance covered is about 230 kilometres (138 miles) over a period of 7 days, with a course mainly over stony ground with 15% to 20% of it being on sand dunes.

Contestants carry their own food and equipment for the duration, with the exception of water and tents. Each contestant is provided with 9 litres of water per day and open sided Berber tents are used en-route. Contestants will have been training for several months, many running the equivalent of 2 to 3 marathons per week to maintain fitness.

As with all endurance events the Marathon des Sables is really a personal challenge as much as it is a race. To finish it is a major achievement, while the winner will undoubtedly complete the course in a superhuman time. I have completed this event in 1999, 2001, 2002 and 2005. And I shall be there again in 2008.

In 2002 and 2005 I completed daily journals which were transmitted back to the UK (technology permitting), which are included here should you wish to find out more about this event. I also taken many hundreds of pictures, some of which are further down this page and I'll be posting more over the next few months.

Marathon des Sables 2002

Departure Day minus 5 - Saturday

My sponsor's kit has now arrived and I have spilt it up into what I am taking and what is left behind. This now needs to be tested with a short run to check how I sweat, rubbing, nipple damage, and general body heat.

Today was spent running around, checking the kit to make sure its suitable and replacing the odd bit. A trip to the supermarket to buy odd bits of food that go together to form some sort of diet on the race. Pepperami sausages (for salt), dates, GO bars, and some dehydrated meals are being placed together in plastic bags to make up my life support system for the 7 days in the desert. A couple of wet meals, which are heavy, are going in this year as well. These will be eaten early on to reduce the weight (strange thinking here) quickly.

My fire uses 2-stroke fuel, which I barter for in Ouazzazate once I have settled in the room. Fortunately I know where the petrol station is. This is important as a wrong turn outside the hotel leaves you with a 10k route march to the petrol station and back instead of 700 metres.

Departure Day minus 4 - Sunday

Took my kit out for a 5-mile run, following a Saturday night pizza, bad idea. Ran past the bank to see that all was going well and continued past the wobbly bridge to Blackfriars, Tower Bridge, Wapping, Canary Wharf and home. My ankles are still not right. I will still finish the race though.

I am now looking at the kit to decide what is not even worth taking to Morocco. I tend to take extra kit to the event and decide at the start, depending on local conditions. This year I have black equipment, but I have a spare set of white if the temperatures are unbearable. I will take both and decide in the tent just before registration.

Departure Day minus 3 - Monday

Another final run and some gym work took up part of the day. There will only be light gym work now until I get to the start.

Departure Day minus 1 - Wednesday

Today was spent re-packing and re-checking the weight of the kit bags. It is always much easier to do this in the UK than in a Bedouin tent in the middle of the Sahara. Secondly, I have been getting doctor's paperwork and certificates in the correct order so that it is easily produced at passport stations on the way and finally, we have been completing our affairs and work for the web-site.

The plane flies out tomorrow at 12.00 and we all plan to meet early to get to know each other at the airport; most of us will be there at 9.30.

There is a sense of trepidation now falling upon most of the runners - aches, pains, colds and all sorts of illnesses and diseases start to arise, which are really only a reaction to the anticipation of the race. I am feeling quite relaxed this year, probably too relaxed for the race, we'll see.

Departure Day - Thursday

The plane arrived at 4.00p.m. into 22 degrees of heat and touched down amid the arid countryside of brown burnt umber. For some people, including Jimmy Darrant and James Smith, amongst others, this is a chance to resolve unfinished business, both of them had to retire last year with horrendous feet problems and this year they have returned in a very buoyant mood determined to resolve past history.

The Commonwealth team arrived in high spirits and stood on the tarmac picking up their equipment before they moved through customs. We are now in the Meridian Hotel in Quarzazate showering and getting ready for a meeting with The Best of Morroco who will give us the information for the next 24 hours.

Tomorrow morning, after a quick breakfast, we will be in the coaches at 9.00 am travelling to our destination which we have heard is Tagounite which is south of Zagora but we really don't know.

Pre-Race - Friday

(lots of background laughter and much mucking about)

I am just having the p*** taken out of me here!

We are now on the bus leaving the Hotel Meridian in Quarzazate and everybody is in fine spirits. We are just about to get our road books that will tell us exactly where we are going. I believe we have a four hour coach trip this morning down to where base camp will be.

Everyone is in fine spirits as I said before and people are now forming their teams and getting all their equipment together, and looking expectantly towards the start. The temperature at the moment is a very warm English sunny day of around about 22 - 24 degrees and it is a wonderful day.

Later....

The British Commonwealth team have now arrived at the bivouac site to the south of Tagounite. The site is in a flat shingly plain with mountains off to our left-hand side. The temperature is very cool today, no more than it would be in the UK on a hot summer's day, and the sky is very dust laden, the feeling of the whole area is close. Everybody is in good spirits with the exception of one soldier who was taken ill on the way down here. We have no more details yet but I'll get those tomorrow.

Tomorrow morning we will awake and do our final registration, what this means is that we will have our ECGs tested and checked and our doctor's certificates checked by the French doctors. They will also check all our equipment plus all our food to ensure that it meets the requirements for the race. We will then hand over our cases, go back to our tents and get ready for the start of the race on Sunday morning.

We have all sorted out our team mates, and competitors from all the other countries have now arrived. There are members from Canada, America, Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Japan, France, and of course British Commonwealth teams. In total there are about 30 countries here at the start.

Andy Tsoi, Lawrence Locke, Jackson Griffiths, and Brian Matthews are all settling in well and just want to let their families and sponsors know that they are OK.

Pre-Race - Saturday

If I don't mention individuals each day that is probably because they are OK. Runners are placed in a tent and stay with that tent all week. I am in tent 60 along with Paul Shields, Jimmy Durrance, Laurent Locke, Andy Tsoi, Jackson Griffith, Duncan Lewin and Nick Rosi.

The bivouac is quite an organisation as well as a place with 600 plus runners, 8 to a tent. There are approximately 75 black Berber tents, open on both sides and we sleep head to toe on Morrocan blankets laid on the sand. Here at the start at Tagounite, the ground is very stony and rocks poke up through the wool blankets to keep us awake at night. There are also 40 white tents for the press and the organisers, together with 40 vehicles and a medical section including three minor operation areas and a team of 30 doctors which include 5 practising sports surgeons. Added to this there is also a helicopter, a plane and part of the Moroccan army. The group of 1,500 souls move 20 miles each day barely leaving a trace of their stay on the landscape.

Some or these men ache already, especially those who did not use a thermorest. Snoring and other noises punctuate the night in each tent with one or two waking to find the rest of the tent taping up their noses and mouths!

The night was windy with a 20 mile an hour breeze. Although by 10.00 pm on Friday the temperature was still 24C (74 F) the wind made it feel much colder. We awoke this morning (Saturday) to quite a misty fawn sunrise. There was a lot of haze around as there has been rain lately and it is probably moisture evaporating from the desert floor.

Now we are sitting around at 11.00 am and the temperature has risen to the mid 90s and we are waiting the last couple of hours for our place in the registration queue.

Tent 53, the Save the Rhino team are taking a Rhino suit to carry around the course, it has been specially designed to allow the runners to change the suit in one minute. The UK and Commonwealth team are in great spirit and like Adam Nash, Karl Drage, and Craig Mclean they would like it to start straight away.

Tomorrow, Sunday, we start the race!

Race Day 1 - Sunday

Last night the temperature dropped to 4 degrees C and the winds have now risen to 40 mph. Sand and dust is facing the encampment. Ally and his team arrived at 6.30 this morning and took the tents down with the runners still in their sleeping bags. It was a beautiful sunrise and was especially hazy as the sand ripped through the encampment.

All the runners are in fine spirits and send their love to their families.

With a trois, duex, un the 17th Marathon Des Sables was sent on its way by the Governer of Zagora. The runners moved across the 26 km stage chased by wind blown sand. With cloths around their faces and their sunglasses on this made them look like an alien army forging across the dunes. Paul Pringle and Ian Rolfe made good going at the start and found it a relief to be competing at last. The course was flat and striking mesas lined the horizon making it look a little like Monument Canyon.

Jimmy Durrance was moving steadily to make sure their was no repeat of his feet in 2001. Click here to see what his feet were like last year. Warning: strong stomach required. All except 1 runner arrived safely at bivouac 2 and the lads at tent 54 just want to let the families know that they are fine.

The winds have now risen to gusts of 50 mph, sand is getting everywhere and I mean everywhere. The tent has been adjusted to protect us against the sand but it is still filtering through into all our food and into all our clothing.

Finally Nick Vidovich was the British runner to retire from the race today. This was due to horrendous heel problems and he and Doc Trotter made the courageous decision to decide not to continue. His feet are in a bad way but they will heal and no doubt he will return to complete the course another year. It is tough luck and we all feel very sad that it has happened.

Race Day 2 - Monday

Everybody here would like to thank all their families for sending emails (via the Darbaroud site) they are coming through. We also specifically thank JT, Peter Miles and Mimi, we have received their emails, thank you very much, it means a lot to us and please can everybody keep them coming.
Everybody is OK in tents 53, 54 55, 57, 58, 59, 62, 63, 64, 66 and 67. Tent 56 lost Nick Vidovich yesterday, tent 60 lost Jimmy Durrance which I will explain later, tent 61 lost Paul Hirwood and tent 65 lost Mike Inkster today.

The first British man was still Mark Hartell who is currently 17th then Richard Wallace currently at 36th.

Last night the wind howled around the tents and we lay like Egyptian mummies in a row with the sleeping bags closed up and masks around our faces. Today (Monday) the wind has dropped to 20 mph but we are now heading into the wind and this is making things more difficult.

Today's stage was tough at 36 km with two sets of dunes. The heat is not bad at 100 C but the wind drives into your face and makes the going much harder. We started early today and ran the first stage across a wide plane with mesas lining the skyline. We ran up a coll and found the first checkpoint on the other side. It was a straight run across dunes and a wide plain to the second checkpoint at 25 km and finally a hard drive across a set of dunes 2 km wide. The wind screamed and sand trails snaked their way towards your face. Another couple of kilometres on stony ground and we were home.

Some however didn't make it. Jimmy Durrance had a recurrence of his multiple blisters of 2000 and faithfull to his promise to wife Debbie he pulled at checkpoint 2. Jim and I discussed this during the 12km stretch where he picked up a further 5 blisters bringing his total to 20. Tent 60 will miss him but it was the right decision for him to make. To make this decision twice is very courageous.

If I can add a personal note leaving Jimmy at checkpoint 2 was probably the saddest moment I have had in any of my desert race in the last few years, but it was still the right thing for him to do.

Mike Inkster needed to withdraw due to a chest infection which quickly developed out here in Morocco. He was going well up to checkpoint 1 but suddenly got into difficulties before checkpoint 2 and was pulled by Doc Trotter.

Paul Harwood withdrew due to excessive blisters again during the stage and has withdrawn and is currently with Doc Trotter. All three are fine, none are in difficulties and are all going to be making their way back to the hotels.

Everybody else in the other tents, I have visited this evening, everybody is fine and sends their love. Keep those emails coming because it means a lot to the runners.

Race Day 3 - Tuesday

All the members of all tents are OK with the exception of Ian Rolfe from tent 58 who I will come to in my report.

We are encamped at the end of stage 3 and most of the runners are in. The dust storms are in full rage and we are lying in our tents with our faces completely covered in our face cloths to keep the sand out of our mouths and eyes. As I write this, deposits of sand build up on the paper necessitating a shake every two lines. It's a bonnie day in the Sahara!

The day started well, clear blue skies and baking heat as we set off. This is going to be an easy day. The run to checkpoint 1 was OK, flat, with some tiring dunes in between. This was followed by a run through a village with a Kasbah with its mud sun baked walls, alleyways and corridors. This was then followed by a jog through a palm grove to checkpoint 2. Then the sand and the wind started. The last 10 km we did in pairs with visibility down to 40 metres. Howling wind and driven sand prickled every bit of exposed flesh. Sand gets into your teeth, your eyes, your nose and your ears. We almost stumbled into the camp as the visibility was so poor. The wind made it a lot tougher than it should have been and the winds hide the 100 C of heat in the afternoon.

We lost Ian Rolfe this morning. Ian developed a blister on blisters on his toes and was advised to retire by the doctors. He was very disappointed but also pragmatic and will return to complete the race another year.

Tomorrow we start on stage 4, the 50 mile stage. There won't be a report as we will still be running until 2.00 a.m. on Thursday morning. There will however be reports on Thursday morning as the remainder of the runners come through.

People are receiving emails, so please keep them coming (via the Darbaroud site). Thanks to Lloyd Morton and Phil from last year's race, thanks guys, we have received your emails and everybody in the tent has chuckled over them. Its nice to see you are changing from trees to Timex watches in the London Marathon.

Everybody wants to send their love to their families and apart from blisters everybody is OK.

Race Day 4 - Wednesday

That was a nightmare, we started the day with the usual blizzards of the sand and wind. We jogged and ran as far as we could before the sun got hot.

From the outset we hit dunes, they were muscle sapping as we meandered our way for twelve kilometres to checkpoint 2. We pushed on to checkpoint 3 across more dunes, sandy plains and stony plains until we reached the base of Berghart Mazhil at checkpoint 3. All the time the wind and sand was roaring in our ears and getting into our eyes and noses. There were constant tears as the grit was flushed our from our eyes, creating rivulets of clean skin in otherwise sand covered faces.

The fun started after checkpoint 3. Berghart Maziel is 23 kilometres across, with dunes reaching 1500ft. We had to traverse these on a bearing of 371 degrees, almost due West. To begin with it was a beautiful, if tough, stage. Wind spiralled and screamed over the crest of the dune, sending rivers of sand down the lee side and wiping out the footprints of runners in a matter of minutes.

We trudged on picking up stray runners, as we struck out together for protection. You climb the face of the dune which gets steeper as you get to the top and you claw frantically as you strive to climb the final 10ft. Whilst you are so occupied, sand blasts at you peppering every piece of exposed flesh with grit. At the crest the constant stream of sand blots out your hands and you can only feel your way to the top. All the time your body is sinking back down and the feeling of panic sets in that you are never going to make it and that you are doomed to spending the rest of your life at the bottom of the dune. The wind constantly howls around your head and you feel alone. We eventually got to checkpoint 4.

Leaving there, darkness set in and a bizarre journey commenced. All depth and perspective was lost. It was pitch dark, but due to the sand we still wore our sun specs. Our torches were dim through the darkened glasses and we could only just see the feet in front as we walked Indian file on the compass bearing. At each dune we would struggle up the dune, offering ski sticks to help pull people up to the crest. Several times we thought of packing it in as the wind and sand howled around our heads in this alien country.

A flare went up as Richard Siddons dropped out. He twisted his knee in the dark as he tried to come down the side of the dune. He had to wait alone for two hours in the dunes with only the screaming winds for company as he waited to be rescued. The French turned on the laser to guide us in. Initially we were concerned that Algeria would think this was some sort of Moroccan death ray and declare war but this hasn't happened. We were really glad that they used it. With this in place we were able to traverse the dunes more easily and eventually got out.

At checkpoint 5 the runners were crammed in the tents and rain had started. It was very cold (early March cold). We route marched the last 12k over salt flats to the finish and arrived at 00.50 a.m. Job done, we promptly dived into sleeping bags and slept. We had completed 75k and collected a lifetime of memories. One German female runner arrived with her eyes and nose bleeding and in a lot of distress but she finished with 36 hours before the start of the Marathon and that is determination. At present people are still arriving, two Americans are temporarily lost and about 20 people from all countries have dropped out in the last 24 hours.

Later Report...

For this stage report I am going to start with some thank you's .

Firstly Denise and Mel from Best of Morocco for keeping us in such good spirits and informing us of all the procedures. They are based here on the course and have been a great help.

Secondly to Odlo, especially Ian for providing me with such great kit which is going really well Ian, and has been fantastic. I will give you a report at the end of the race.

And thirdly to Mimi, Max, Michael Stinsfield, JT, John Hassen and many more for all their emails which have kept us happy and amused.

Stage 4 results. Internationally first was Mohamed Ahansel 7hrs 23m, second Lahcen Ahansel in 7hrs 27, third Giles Diel from France in 8hrs 04 and fourth Marco Olno of Italy in 8hrs 04. Marco Olno has been twice the winner of the Jordan Desert Cup. The fastest UK runner is Mark Hartel with a time for the stage of 9hrs 17 in 13th position. For no particular interest my position is 362nd and I did the stage in about 15 hours.

All the competitors are now in we have spent the day huddled in our tents only venturing out when necessary whilst the dust storm continues. The tents are great but they let in sand and the rain. During today the sand has built up in the tents leaving a film, one inch thick in some tents. We have had odd bits of rain but the main problem is the 30 to 50 mph wind.

The Save the Rhino team got in this morning, a splendid achievement, carrying the Rhino outfit, which must have been like a sail in the wind, through the dunes and across the terrain, getting in around 10.00 a.m. this morning.

The temperature in the tents is cold at around 73 degrees and on top of that there is the wind chill. We have had our emergency blankets wrapped around us all day and most people are in their sleeping bags to keep warm.

Some points from yesterday. Duncan Lewin had to stand for 40 minutes in the dunes while he held an IV drip up for a German athlete who succumbed to the heat.

Sadly a number of athletes had to withdraw.

They were: In tent 48 Kevin Whelan, Kevin was asked to withdraw on the course by Doc Trotter as he missed the deadline and was obviously in great pain. In tent 49, Laurie Brophy who finished in 1999 had to withdraw due to dehydration. In tent 52 David Hoile was withdrawn by Doc Trotter due to his bad feet from chronic blisters. In tent 58 Andy Shoreman was also withdrawn by Doc Trotter due to his bad feet from chronic blisters. In tent 60 Jackson Griffith was withdrawn by Doc Trotter for a developing chest infection which was really bringing Jackson down he was not in a good state at the start of the stage. Tent 61 Richard Siddons twisted his knee in the dunes and was rescued by Doc Trotter after 2 hours. And finally tent 62 Shirley Thomson was withdrawn, against her wishes, by the officials, for taking too long to get to checkpoint 1. We are going to miss them all.

We would like to send a little note to Jimmy Durrance from tent 60. We miss you Jimmy, you are a great loss and we are looking forward to seeing you soon. We are still carrying the flag and I will carry it across the finishing line.

Today emails were received at long last. For the last two days the printer has been out of action due to sand seeping in. And when you are here that is really not suprising.

Everyone is in high spirits with only 62 km of running to go and we are looking forward to the finish. It is the marathon stage tomorrow and everyone is in good spirits for that.

Race Day 5 - Thursday

Day 5, Thursday, is a rest day - relatively speaking. With the long stage on day 4 many runners will be running well into Thursday morning to complete the stage. Tomorrow, Friday, sees a Marathon length run with the race finishing with a shorter stage on Saturday.

Race Day 6 - Friday

Thanks for all the emails including those from JT, Luke Cunliffe and Robert Collins.

Firstly best wishes to all those heroes who are taking part in the Flora London Marathon on Sunday from all of the MdS Commonwealth team. Every one is back in the tents with one exception who we think is getting treatment from Doc Trotter, and everybody is in very high spirits and sends their love and are looking forward to the end of the race.

Following another cold night when the wind had died down we were awakened by our tent team at 5.45 a.m. while dawn was still a pale blue. This morning was freezing cold and we shivered in the early morning wind as we prepared for the run. Finally we went to the start where the Rhino performed a dance for the cameras and for us. The gun went and we jogged off across a wide expanse of plain.

The conditions were perfect, clear blue skies illuminated the skyline and we continued over dunettes to checkpoint 1. Another 10.5 km brought us to checkpoint 2 and at 21.5 km saw us halfway. The wind was fresh and for once benign instead of the constant attack that we are now used to.

We continued for several kilometres over a stony plateaux to checkpoint 3 and the final 11 km was over a sandy level plain to the finish. With easy going the competitors were making fast times. Some were travelling much slower due to a combination of torn muscles and severe blisters but they still made it.

Tonight there is an air of satisfaction in the tents. With only 20 km to go tomorrow the team is coming home successful. Camp fires are out in front of the tents sending a warm glow into the interiors. On the skyline is a huge escarpment turning purple in the sunset.

Tomorrow night we will be in the hotel with a medal, washed, shaved and fed and that is something to look forward to.

Laurent Locke wants to dedicate his MdS to Tamaris, his new niece whom he is looking forward to meeting and to her Grandfather who would love to have met her. Paul Shields says hello to all the children at Hawthorn Mencap Nursery, which is the nursery for which he is sponsored.

We will be putting this years pictures on to the web site on Wednesday, including pictures of blisters and dust storms. Meanwhile we are looking forward to getting into the hotel tomorrow and ringing home.

Race Day 7 - Saturday

Just a short report today. Firstly nobody dropped out yesterday (Friday) from the Marathon stage, everybody got through and everybody got through today's stage and we finished at around 12.00 to 1.00 p.m. depending on how fast we were.

We have just arrived back at the hotel. Everybody is now madly washing and changing and getting ready to have their first decent meal in seven days and then get a good nights sleep in a bed. Just having a wash absolutely feels marvellous.

I will give you a full report tomorrow, so just to say that nobody has dropped out since the 50 miles section. Everyone feels fine, hobbling, sure, but OK and very happy, smiling and clutching their medals.

Later Report...

We awoke at 5.30 to the best morning so far the pale dawn didn't bring its usual chill wind and for once we were not sitting on the desert floor preparing for the stage with the lower halves of our bodies still in the sleeping bags for warmth. Instead this was a normal spring Moroccan day, warm, crystal clear, striking landscape and getting hotter by the minute.

The tents did not come down quite so early, but they came down anyway, and there was an air of excitement as we knew in a couple of hour it would be over. However much you love this, and I do, a week is enough. As you get filthier so the less your sense of smell, it is as if the scent has been switched off.

During the week friendships are formed and barriers are broken down. People are in too much pain to care. One lady went to the toilet in the middle of the encampment in front of all 600 competitors. She carried this out, to the shouts of "Heave…" from several hundred voices and did not appear to mind.

We took the photos of tent teams and made our way to the start. The 20 km stage had one checkpoint. The leading runners were off from the gun. Everyone wanted to get to the hotel, so many finished in under two hours. At checkpoint one I chatted with Alison, Patrick's Interpreter (Patrick is the Race Director) while some runners, David of the Bean Feast Team and Brett came through.

I carried on to the outskirts of town, there were 2 km to go. I put away the ski sticks got out Jimmy Durrance's Union Jack, which I had carried since he had retired and got ready. Anke Molkenthin and Sandro of Odlo arived and we walked and jogged our way up the long straight to the centre and to the finishing line. We were all dressed in black. Two hundred metres from the finish we held hands and jogged past clapping crowds of well-wishers and past cars flashing lights and honking horns. Everybody was celebrating.

We passed the waiting coaches as the finish markers grew larger and larger. The crowds got denser and deeper until we were about 30 metres from the line where we entered the welcoming open and inflated arms of the French finishing line structure. The press were out in force. We crossed the finishing line and were given our medals by Patrick. He was his typical emotional self. This race is his soul, you can see it in his eyes. He is so pleased that others have discovered, or re-discovered, what he found 18 years ago.

The finish was in the town square, surrounded by small shops and red terracotta and burnt umber buildings with a large hibiscus tree in the corner. At the back two large canvas canopies had been erected which were adorned inside with red and green panels to shade the runners whilst we waited for our bus.

We picked up our medals and went down the funnel, thanking the French and receiving some fruit and more water. Cameras and microphones were shoved in Anke's face as German camera crews waited on her every word. We went into the square, gazed at by a solid wall of local inhabitants and cordoned off by Moroccan police and army.

We shook hands with fellow competitors, chatted and congratulated each other. Each of us felt fairly flat, you always do. The feeling of success comes later in the UK, perhaps it is too much to sink in at once.

The square was beautiful, with a minaret at the edge where the Imam was calling all to prayer in the basking lunchtime sun. I went back in time to catch a picture of the rhino, complete with medal on its horn, coming through the tunnel. A round of applause broke out minutes later as the camels came across the line following the last runner.

Our allotted bus arrived, we received our meals and settled down to a three and half hour trip to the hotel, we were getting back to civilisation, and that is when we realised we stank.

After the race

Today could not be more different if we tried. We are sitting by the pool at the Bel Air hotel a cool breeze is sweeping through the quadrangle and the palm trees are wafting slowly to some silent rhythm. The sky is a perfect azure, so perfect and fresh. In the palms an african species of pigeon are singing an unfamiliar song. Against this idyllic setting 600 hobbling but very happy people are sunning themselves, some wearing their newly acquired 'finishers' tee shirts with a smug grin and why not. There are few races that take so long to earn it. Some also have their medals around their necks.

However all is not perfect. Due to our blistered feet and other injuries we cannot enter the pool for fear of infecting the other guests. This afternoon we are off to the official prize giving at the studios for the 'Gladiator' films, where hopefully we will see short films from all of the TV companies and have a party.

Tomorrow we must leave at 6.00 a.m. and be in London for 12.30. Most of the runners have swollen feet and between 2 to 12 blisters which causes them to shuffle around the pool. However the race has been a great break as most of us have mind taxing sedentary jobs. By contrast here we have physical exercise for 6 to 7 days, detoxed by drinking up to 70 litres of water, no alcohol, no cigarettes and little food. Everyone will now fit into their suits more easily thanks to this regime. Having said that it took all of 40 minutes for most runners to bathe, shave and plunge back in to a beer, nicotine and gluttony lifestyle. Great.

Some statistics

This is the worst year in the history of the race for wind and dust storms. The night section over the dunes was horrendous. Many times we had drops of 100 to 200 ft in the darkness around us. Some runners have friction burn marks on their faces from the blown sand and my memory will be the feeling of isolation I felt from the environment as I spent hours enclosed behind the sunspecs and the raised up face cloth.

There were fewer IV drips this year, 16 as against 80 last year also fewer abandoned, 28 this year as against 70 last year. But the dust storms and being cooped up in our tents as the sand relentlessly seeped its way into every object we possesed is one of the two memories which stands out. The other is sitting with Jimmy Durrance as he made his decision to retire from the race.

Positions

We had a great year with Mark Hartel getting the highest placing for a Britain on the race ever at 13th. Also with Richard Wallace, the winner of the Thames Meander, in an excellent 26th.

Some updates from yesterday

Mike Percy came in after the last marathon report on heavily blistered feet. Dan Hatchers of the USA lay in the desert for 3 hours missed by all, vomiting and and with diarrhoea while he was on the sand. Both managed to beat the camels (note: the camels indicate if you are out of time and have to retire). Dan had 4 IV drips and lay in Doc Trotter's tent all night but managed to get to the finish, as did Mike.

One of the Rhino team has a leg infection that now goes up to his knee but is being attended to by Doc Trotter and is OK.

Just a word to say that this sites purpose has been to keep the loved ones at home informed as to what has been going on. I would like to thank everybody for their kind thanks which have already been sent back to me by other runners. I would like to thank for this project Ray and Ras for their design and maintenance for the web site, to Mike Peel for his co-ordinating work at Blackheath Harriers, to Shirley and James of Event Rate for their promotion and Anke Molkenthin, Ian and Malcolm of 'The Tortoise and the Hare' for supplying me with such excellent specialist clothing.

But my special thanks goes to Peter Landless for unstinting efforts at getting up the reports so fast and so accurately and to Kathy for putting up with me and for her support up to and during this race.

Postscript.........

Most of the runners who returned from Morocco with chest infections have now found that this has turned into pneumonia. They are currently receiving treatment, but it only goes to prove their wise and strong decision to retire at the right time was the correct one.

Just a whimsical tale to show how far your correspondent will go in the pursuit of Marathon Des Sables news. I only lost my temper once on the race and it was for this reason:

I went to file a story only to find the line engaged, so I had to call back. Needing to commune with nature and it getting dark, I decided to go to the dry latrine at the back of the encampment. The sky was a deeping indigo and I needed my torch as I made my way amongst the tents across the stoney plain, in a 35mile wind. I got to the latrine, which was a ceramic plate placed in the sand. This plate was surrounded by a white canvas shower curtain, which you pulled around you whilst you performed.

Keeping pens, loose papers, canvas shower curtains, head torches and juggling with horizontally blown toilet paper, which you have to place in a brown paper bag, proved too much for this runner and something had to give. A light clatter and tinkle announced my credit card was leaving me for the depths of the hole. Too late I couldn't stop it disappearing, but no credit card no reports. On completion of the ablutions I had to retrieve this in the best spirit of the film "Train spotting" I didn't find it at first. But finally the fragrant card was retrieved and wiped and washed. I hacked my hand off with a rusty saw.

Never again.

Marathon des Sables 2005

Wednesday 8 April - 20th Marathon des Sables

There is one day before the 307 British contingent flies out for the start of the 20th Marathon des Sables. Their living rooms are awash with kit as each contestant tries to cram their equipment and 14,000 calories of food and medical supplies into their rucksacks.

Thursday 7 April - Arrival in Morocco

The British team arrived in Morocco today and were initiated into a forgotten art - queuing! We queued for this and we queued for that and then, finally, settled down to a meal under the night sky and the warm Sahara evening. It's dark here by 8pm and once the race starts we will be in bed every night by this time.

I'll report every day on the state of the race, the teams and highlight certain individuals. If a person is not mentioned it will be because they are ok and continuing to run.

Tomorrow we set off to the registration area and the start of the race which commences Sunday morning.

Friday 8 April

The team has now arrived at Khermou, 30km SW of Erfoud where we will start the race on Sunday at 9am. Khermou is an area - a long windswept desolate place with a cliff running along the west side. We arrived at 4pm after 5 hour coach trip down the Draa valley where we were met with driving sands and winds. Each time we stopped in the middle of this empty expanse we were accosted by barefoot children who seemed to appear out of the ground and asked for food. The tents are set out to form a large 20 to mark the 20th anniversary of the race. Also we are getting acclimatised to the wind and the heat.

One problem we have which is still not resolved is the fuel. The official fuel has arrived in an unsuitable state and we are awaiting a delivery of camping gas to avoid cold food throughout the week. However the French are feeding everyone and this won't be a problem until the race starts. We are now bedding down for our first night. Many of the team will be checking out their sleeping equipment for the first time so wish them luck!!!

The French look very professional and fit. We have got a lot better at queuing today, far more so than yesterday.

Registration Day

We got a welcome from the Sahara today. Initially we spent the morning packing our kit and dividing our equipment and food up for inspection. We took our cases and race equipment up to the Registration where ECGs, medical certificates, food and compulsory items were checked and where we received our distress flares, running numbers and water tabs.

Mid-afternoon everything changed....... the wind whipped up the sand into clouds whilst the whole sky changed from a azure blue into yellow ochre. The nearby mountains were soon blotted out and the sun became a dull yellow orb like a lost moon. The wind wailed and the sand shot-blasted the skin - it was like putting your head in a hoover bag and shaking it! The tents started to collapse in the wind and we all clambered around repairing and re-erecting them whilst a camera crew recorded our progress. During this, the PA system played tango music and the event became typically surreal as organisers and competitors danced to an audience whilst the sandstorm howled. (There are 777 runners here of which 120 are women from 36 countries.)

We also got our fires back from Chris Lawrence, who found 200 camping gas fires in Casablanca - an 18 hour return trip from the start site.

Such is the camaraderie at the event that the sole Luxembourg contestant has been re-kitted by other competitors after his kit was lost at the airport.

Tonight the sky is clear and millions of stars have come out. The wind has dropped and we have had our last decent meal for a week. Its 9pm and we are all in bed. Everyone is ok. In 12 hours it starts in earnest and the gradual attrition commences.

Thanks and goodnight from all of us.

P.S.: PLEASE send the emails and make sure you quote the running number and the competitor's name otherwise they will not go through

Day One

With a Trois, Deux and Un we were off. The helicopter circled around as the contestants sped to the first obstruction - a jebel up on a high rocky outcrop where we could only pass through two by two. We soon reached Checkpoint 1 and drove on to Checkpoint 2 over the first set of dunes. For many this was their first ever taste of the Saharan dunes and most of the dunes here seem hotter than the surrounding area as you go through them whilst giving off clouds of dust.

With a combination of heat and sport drinks we finished the stage and are looking forward to stage 2.

A Canadian has dropped out and many of the runners have blisters which are being attended to by the doctors and their team. Its 7.30 and most of us are in bed.

It is extremely difficult to get reports out as the queues for the sat phone and email are very long so don't worry if a loved one is not in touch for a couple of days. The course is so long that there is little time left at the end of the day to email, cook food and attend to one's needs before night sets in.

During the evening we were entertained by the berber drivers, who danced around the fire and chanted an old berber folk song. We curled up on the desert floor and slept.

Everyone is receiving their email messages and loving them. Thank you. Do keep sending them.

Day 2

Today we got a clue as to what we are - grub. Two vultures swirled around our heads whilst we raced to Checkpoint 1. The stage then became progressively harder and more extreme until it became the hardest Stage 2 I've ever seen. To begin with, it was hotter than 40 degrees and hilly. The first range of hills hit us after Checkpoint 2.

We walked up and down what the cartoon drawing in the road book has as little 'friendly' dunes, but which would not have seemed out of place in North Wales! We then descended and crossed a flat plain for 11km. These are demoralising as the checkpoint can be seen for ages but never comes close. Then the fun started and the course went on steroids as we undertook the final stage of the 6km and climbed up a 933m mountain, (2,500 feet to you - 500 foot less than Snowden) of sharp rockface with sand dunes 80-100 foot high. It looked like the north face of the Eiger and was covered with wind erosion which created craggy ditches. "I didn't bank on this" said one of the Welsh team, but then none of us did! As we went down, one runner broke her leg and 11 dropped out. We finished this off with a short but severe dune section and finished around 6 in the evening. According to Jason French we burnt about 5,700 calories today and 3,500 yesterday. Despite the muesli and all the food we are all losing weight. Elizabeth Evangelista suffered vertigo this morning - but not now, as she conquered her fear to get over the mountain - clinging to the rockface she showed real guts and determination as she climbed up and down the rock - absolutely inspiring!

Tonight it is dark and everyone is asleep. I am sitting in the desert writing this under a sea of stars - you really should be here. Tomorrow is 41km and another world away.

Thanks for all the emails which are coming through to us.

Day 3 - Dune Day

Its 50 degrees in the dunes and no wind: Yes its dune day. Above me is a 200-foot dune followed by another and another for a total of 8K.

You drive and push up the dune lungs bursting and at the summit you graciously slide down he other side hoping that the sand doesn't get in your shoes.

The day started at 6am with cockerels crowing in the distance. The Sky turns to a mid blue to announce the dawn. Around you is a group of heaving snoring bodies in sleeping bags lying like overfed pupae.

The dawn brightens and each competitor lifts himself / herself up to check the bits and parts. It's normally cold and windy. At this point berbers turn up and in one movement you are looking at the morning sky.

Between 6 and 8.30 we have breakfast and get ready for the stage bandaging feet and repacking the kitbag then we walk over to the start. If we are late we get a time penalty.

We started running after the gun and went across a wide plain and through a gorge to CP1.

Here Patrick Bauer met us and I saw VAVA for the first time in the race.

This was followed by 11 K to CP 2, which includes some respectable dunes. Grand rather than large and pristine as if no one had ever traversed them. The runners ploughed on knowing that all trace of their endeavours would have been lost in a week.

From CP3 we walked/ran along a valley for 10 K to the finish. The high temperatures have taken their toll. Several Brits have dropped out due to heat exhaustion. Many are injured but still coping. I saw one female competitor getting a piggyback to the doctors because she couldn't walk.

I asked Carl Marston a 2: 49 marathon runner to describe why 41 K in the Sahara took 5:30

"If you go to a third rate curry house, drank 15 largers, wake up next morning with diarrhoea and a hangover, slice your soles off your feet with glass and then hit all your toes with a hammer and then run a marathon, you will see why."

Tomorrow we start the 50 miler.

DAY 4: The Fifty Miler

We woke up and got ready for the run. The race started by going up another hill walking over limestone pavement and smashing our feet up on loose rocks. We floated down a large dune and traversed a plain 12K long and unchanging plain to CP 2.

We turned north rising over a 300 foot ridge to find another 10K rock strewn plain and dunes in front of us.

A small sandstorm kicked up and we got through it with masks up. Others got caught with visibility down to 300mm at one point. One of the Brits found the Korean team huddled at the base of a dune as the sand piled up against them.

The storm subsided. CP 3 at 33K to CP 4 at 44K presented more dunes with more storms to us.

Many decided to take a break here and eat. Some (such as me) pushed on another 34K to the finish ASAP. Some took longer breaks at CP 5 & 6.

6 was fun as we climbed the side of a jebel at night, jumped off the end and slid down a couple of hundred feet in the dark and walked on a compass bearing. We walked for 3 hours at a fast pace and still couldn't see the finish. Finally we came over a rise and there was the encampment for 1,200 a mere 300 metres away. One of Patrick's little jokes again.

Before this the swearing and cursing got worse as the frustration and pain increased. Pain because the last 10k were over rock strewn paths. Everyone has blisters and everyone is tired.

Day 5 - Thursday

Another sandstorm all day. People are arriving in the morning heat and the slowest to finish and who need the most sleep get the least.

Right now the tent is flapping; masks and goggles are up and we can't see the tent next door. I hope no one is still out there. John Buckingham was dehydrated - he drank 16 litres of water in one day - I've never seen that before! This is an extremely tough year. We've had sandstorms, high temperatures and steep climbs. Any person who has dropped out has reached their absolute limit. I saw one competitor unable to even leave his sleeping bag and was lifted into the landrover by four doctors.

Day 5 continued

The sandstorm continued to rage through the night and the tent collapsed on one side. Sand blew in and we remained motionless with buffs over our faces to stop inhaling the dust. A quick look around the camp confirmed that we had come off lightly. A tent nearby was completely collapsed on the floor with mutterings coming from underneath, the wind continued to howl.

Abandons

It's been very difficult to get reports out by phone or information on any Brits who have abandoned. In the tents people are known by their first names and I cannot write about a Mark or a John being in trouble without worrying 17 other families who know 17 other completely fit Marks or Johns in the race. Please look at the Darbaroud site to see who has dropped out.

What I can say is that those who do drop out have had to be physically removed from their tents by the doctors as the runners are unable to move and yet desperately want to continue. Some have had layers of skin removed from their feet and even morphine cannot stop the pain so they are unable to put any weight on their legs. Even so, they would crawl to get their medal and it's heartbreaking to see men crying at the acknowledgement that whatever they do it just won't work out. They really have tried their hardest and they will return and succeed - but this time the desert has won.

Day 6: Marathon day 42.2k

The course was fine but it was hot again. The fast runners took off. The going was flat, fast and relatively easy to Checkpoint 1. At 19k we went up the hills, again strewn with toe stubbing, blister producing rock. By now the slower, more damaged runners had become experts at running shoe footprint recognition as their world is only the 2 metre track ahead of them, whilst they are on high alert, wary of every jagged pebble in their way. When they make the mistake of looking at the breathtaking scenery around them they pay the price of another blister bursting in their shoe caused by collision with an innocent stone. Walking in single file one can hear the occasional yelp.

Checkpoint 2 to checkpoint 3 was very soft grey sand that sapped energy at every step. We stopped at Tarhalt; a mud wall town high on up a cliff dominated by an impressive casbah. The last stretch of 12k was dunes again, but these were surprisingly easy undulating dunes with no large highs or lows. We could see the finish for an hour and a half, slowly, imperceptibly, coming closer. It seems to taunt the runners as they try to complete the stage. The fast runners have their own problems. Running in this heat caused three to collapse on the line through dehydration and required IV drips to revive them.

Doc Trotter's medical team are exceptional. The team is huge with over 30 doctors and sets the standard for sports medical help at the extreme events world-wide. Not only are they at every checkpoint but they pass you every kilometre as you progress along the course. They are never far away. One French runner injured himself when he slashed his forehead with a ski pole. Despite the winds and sand, Gaston and his team quickly erected the operating theatre and resolved the problem. Their care and equipment is excellent.

Tomorrow is a short run home (half marathon) and a medal. Everyone is beaming.

Day 7: Finish 20k

We awoke from a good night's sleep, and, having prepared, made our way to the start line.

The start was announced by a volley of rifle fire from the mounted Touaregs who formed an avenue through which we would pass. A group of really slow runners had commenced 30 minutes earlier but despite this we soon overtook them as they hobbled to the finish in an appalling but determined state.

We passed through Checkpoint 1 and passed through the outskirts of Tazzarine. The town is typical of Berber towns in Morocco. There are dilapidated mud wall properties which have been superseded with newer better constructed houses and roads further to the west as the town has prospered and increased in size. The last 2k was on tarmac roads. It was curious to see how our speed picked up on the improved surface, having spent a week in the dunes. We decided to walk in as a tent but this broke down as the only way to finish the race was full-on. We sprinted to the line as fast as we could, standing laughing and breathless as Patrick and his team put medals around our necks. We then answered questions and gave short interviews to the press before being bused away to the hotel.

Fantastic day, fantastic week and a fantastic event. Job done.

Final thoughts and statistics

Just some quick statistic and personal final thoughts of the highs and lows of the race.

13 Britains out of a total of 220 ( 5.9%) failed to finish. Our best result ever and just shows how our preparation, communication and training are improving. In 1999 over 20% failed to complete.

Over 100,000 litres of water were drunk by the competitors and staff.

There were 777 runners and over 400 staff travelled around the country each day; their accommodation being erected at a new place despite trucks and lorries getting bogged down in the sand.

Each runner expended over 44,000 calories during the race whilst only eating 14,000 calories of food and most will have lost around 9 pounds of weight during the race.

Entertainment

At night included Berber dancers, an opera singing "Summertime" under the Saharan night sky, mounted Tourag firing rifles in the air as they rode on camels through the camp and belly dancers performing for our pleasure whilst another sandstorm raged.

Personal Highs

My personal high point was helping Elizabeth Evangelista over the mountain despite her vertigo and helping John Buckingham through the marathon despite his appalling feet problems and his general dehydration. And a Swedish competitor who came up to me and said "Oh you are Steve Partridge you are real hard core". I've never been called that before.

Personal Lows

My down was at checkpoint 2 on day 3 in the dunes when I too suffered from dehydration for a few hours.

This was my fourth and possibly favourite MdS to date. I can't recommend it enough to any aspiring ultra runner. If you have never done it you should really try it. It is simply the best race in the world. I'll be back!